Newsletter Newsletter of the Broseley Local History Society Incorporating the Wilkinson Society November 2010 MEETINGS PROGRAMME Meetings of the Broseley Local History Society 1 Dec Christmas Dinner are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 5 Jan More Broseley Memories with Joan 7.30 pm at the Broseley Social Club, High Street, Griffiths unless otherwise announced. Car parking is 2 Feb Shrewsbury to Bridgnorth by Boat available at the back of the Club. by Ron Miles 2 Mar Annual Wilkinson Lecture Members are requested to be seated by 7.30 pm to Our Wilkinson Heritage by Vin Callcut allow speakers a prompt start. 6 Apr Shropshire’s Iron Age by Shelagh Lewis Visitors are welcome but are asked to give a 4 May Who do I think I am? Glyn Bowen donation towards Society funds. traces his family roots back to Broseley 1 Jun Rocks and History of Loamhole Dingle, a guided walk with Mike and Chris CONTENTS Rayner Programme page 1 Further details from Neil Clarke 01952 504135. New Members page 1 Christmas Dinner page 1 NEW MEMBERS Previous Meetings The Society would like to welcome the following new members: Shropshire Writers page 2 Annual General Meeting page 4 Sheila Black, Telford Neil Cartman, Broseley New Presidents Melinda Evans, Broseley Harold Grice page 4 Vivien Evans, Broseley Norah Lane page 5 Wendy Tilley, Coalbrookdale New Committee Member Michael and Sandra Wallage, Broseley Janet Doody page 6 CHRISTMAS DINNER Broseley’s Skeletons Wednesday 1 December Unearthed page 6 The Lion, High Street In Memoriam page 7 7.30 for 7.45 pm £17.95 per person Severn Gorge The Society’s Christmas dinner is once again Countryside Trust page 7 being held at The Lion in the High Street. Make What’s On? page 8 sure to book your place by not later than Friday Mailbox page 8 26 November by completing the form on p15 and returning it with your payment to Janet Robinson, Christmas Dinner 26 Coalport Road, Broseley TF12 5AZ. booking form page 15 Cheques should be made payable to the Broseley Local History Society. 1 PREVIOUS MEETINGS Just as well known is William Langland who, it is Shropshire Writers thought, was born at Cleobury Mortimer in the mid In September Gordon Dickins, of Shropshire 1300s. His Vision Concerning Piers the Plowman Library Service, gave members of the Society a is considered amongst mediaeval literature to be talk on Shropshire writers. Gordon is currently second only in importance to Chaucer’s chairman of the Mary Webb Society and author of Canterbury Tales. the book An Illustrated Literary Guide to Some members may already be familiar with the Shropshire. A keen photographer his talk was house in St Leonard’s Close, Bridgnorth, in which illustrated with photographs of places connected to Richard Baxter lived for a time. After a chequered the writers about whom he spoke. career Baxter was ordained as a deacon in One of these was Mary Webb. Born in 1881, Worcester but moved to Bridgnorth in 1640. He Webb moved near to Much Wenlock when she was later dedicated the second part of The Saint’s just a year old and it was whilst living there that Everlasting Rest to the people of that town. A she developed her love of the Shropshire supporter of Cromwell’s Parliamentary army, after countryside, which was later to be reflected so the Restoration he was imprisoned by the infamous evocatively in her novels. With only a short Judge Jeffreys for libelling the church. He is now break, she spent most of her life in Shropshire, considered one of the founding fathers of the frequently using local towns and areas as semi Nonconformist movement. fictitious settings for her novels. An example of Another Bridgnorth resident was Thomas Percy this is her first novel, The Golden Arrow, in which who was born in what is now known as Bishop the Stiperstones feature so prominently. Probably Percy’s House at the bottom of the Cartway. After her best and most well known work is the novel graduating from Oxford he took holy orders and Precious Bane for which she was awarded the began his literary career with translations from prestigious Femina Vie Heureuse prize. Sadly she Chinese and Icelandic. In 1765 he published did not achieve public acclaim in her lifetime. Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, an important Another famous author was A E Housman. collection of poetry which included material from Although not native to Shropshire – he was born in an ancient manuscript rescued from a friend’s Fockbury in neighbouring Worcestershire – he house in Shropshire. His dedication of the book to appears to have fallen in love with the county from the Duchess of Northumberland (herself a Percy) a distance, his “blue remembered hills” almost earned him entry into royal circles and he was later certainly being the view from near his home. appointed chaplain to King George III. Although he failed to graduate from Oxford, he Francis Moore of Almanack fame was yet another later became a respected academic and in 1892 was celebrity who came from Bridgnorth. A self taught appointed Professor of Latin at University College physician and astronomer he was born in 1657, London. The romanticism of his first collection of reputedly in one of poems, A Shropshire Lad, was in complete the cave dwellings contrast to his previous writings which had mainly near the St Mary’s been scholarly articles on the classics. What is Steps. He served also interesting is that some at the court of of the poems were written Charles II and his before Housman ever visited original Almanack Shropshire, which may was published as a account for such anomalies means to help sell as his steeple on Hughley his own brand of church. Bishop Percy’s The Mary Webb memorial plaque can House, Cartway, be seen in Church Walk, Much Wenlock Bridgnorth 2 health pills, although his later editions included Another well known writer was Hesba Stretton, such things as astrological observations as well as born Sarah Smith in Wellington. Her most weather predictions. Old Moore’s Almanack is successful book was Jessica’s First Prayer, still published today and should not be confused published in 1867, which sold more than one and with Old Moore’s Almanac (without the k) which a half million copies and was translated into many is an Irish publication from about the same time. languages. Aware of the sometimes appalling conditions in which working class children in John Fletcher has a place in local history as the Victorian England lived, she worked to alleviate minister at Madeley church from 1760-1785. child abuse and poverty and was a founder of the Although a contemporary of John Wesley, with NSPCC. whose beliefs he empathised and with whom he often preached, he remained within the Anglican A more modern day writer was Edith Pargeter church, devoting the rest of his life to working who, as Ellis Peters, wrote the highly popular among the people of Madeley. His theological Brother Cadfael mediaeval mysteries. Born in writings date from 1770 and his Checks to Horsehay, just up the road from Ironbridge, she Antinomianism was the first writing in support of went to school at the old Coalbrookdale High Wesleyan theology published by someone other School. She joined the Women’s Royal Naval than John or Charles Wesley. After his death his Service during WWII and received a BEM for her wife Mary carried on his work for another thirty work whilst there. She later became fascinated by years. Fletcher is buried along with his wife in Czechoslovakia and its language and culture and Madeley churchyard, where his cast iron tomb can published award winning translations of Czech still be seen. poetry and prose. After her death in 1995 a glass window in Shrewsbury Abbey was dedicated to While not born in Shropshire, Charles Dickens her memory. certainly visited the county and while there gained ideas for some of his novels. He undoubtedly used Another recent local author was P G Wodehouse Tong church as the place from which Little Nell of who when young spent his summer holidays at The Old Curiosity Shop sought escape and indeed, Stableford, near Bridgnorth. He is best known for although purely a fictional character, a plaque his Jeeves and Blandings Castle novels and there marking her supposed grave can be seen in Tong has been much debate about the actual setting of churchyard. He also visited Newport where he Blandings Castle within Shropshire. heard the sad story of Elizabeth Parker of Among other writers mentioned by Gordon Chetwynd House who had been jilted on her Dickins were such people as John Osborne, who wedding day. The fact that she became a recluse, moved to Clunton with his fifth wife Jill, and from even keeping her wedding cake as a poignant reminder, must surely have provided Dickens with John Osborne’s last the plot for Great Expectations. home The Hurst, Clunton, now the John Osborne Arvon This memorial to Charles The Fletcher family tomb Centre for creative Dickens’ Little Nell can be can be found in Madeley writing seen in Tong churchyard churchyard hotograph of courtesy Gordon Dickins P 3 where he delighted in playing the role of appointed presidents for a two year period and this Shropshire squire; Henry James, whose English was endorsed by the meeting. Hours includes a chapter on Shropshire; Reginald She then stated that she would like to step down as Heber, rector of Hodnet and Bishop of Calcutta chairman, but since there were no offers to replace who wrote the hymn From Greenlands Icy her, she agreed to stand for another year on Mountains; E M Forster, whose Oniton of condition that a vice chairman be appointed with a Howard’s End was Clun; Sheena Porter, a view to taking over next year.